Ramblings: Leicester

A mizzly day in November is always a good for a wander around a city and knock off a few beers. There's something about clinging dampness and biting winds that encourage reluctant scooping for me - usually because it brings on a dash between pubs for a hasty half and a beaten retreat away from the wet-dog odour of desperate ticker.

So, as all good beery days begin - to the shops. Red Zebra, Derby's biggest and best bottled beer suppliers, have extended into the new Westfield shopping centre, allowing the owner David Simmonds to expand the beer range at their Guildhall market stand. David was very enthusiastic about his ever-growing range, particularly with more local microbrewers now eager to have their beers stocked. Continental beer lovers are well looked after too, with some interesting German staples and seasonals finding their way onto the shelves.

I didn't need much arm-twisting to pick up a couple of bottles; a 750ml bottle of Wissey Valley's Auld Thingy and a bottle of Thurn und TaxisRoggen, both beers that I haven't sampled before.

By now, the mizzle was turning to drizzle, so I hastened to the Babington Arms. Their dark ales festival was due to launch on the Monday, so I thought I'd plump for something at the opposite end of the scale - LeedsPale Ale. Only my second from this newish brewery; I had their Midnight Bell the weekend before at the Flowerpot and was greatly impressed. This certainly was a lightale, just managing to retain enough bite and dryness.

With the weather cheering up to a slate gray , it was time to let the train take the strain, But, as it would it rude to walk past and not call in, time was made for a swift half in the Brunswick.

And the sight of something I've never seen before - no Brunswick beer! Cooling problems earlier in the week had forced Graham to ditch the lot, lest any batch had been contaminated. So, it was like a beer festival at the Brunnie, with all pumps put to guest beer usage. My Reluctant Scooping skills were severely tested, but all this damp in my bones demanded something rich and fruity - Burton Bridge Damson Porter. Always ready to ignore a scoop when I can have a lush glass of this stuff.

On then to the station to meet up with a drinking pal of mine from the Brunswick, 'Cycling' John Horton. We hadn't seen each other for a few weeks - my new job has put the stoppers on lunchtime imbibing - so we caught up on gen and gossip. Into Leicester, a brisk stride down New Walk and onto the first port of call here - the Swan And Rushes.

And who should be by the bar but that renowned beer blogger, the Wooton Wonder himself - Mark 'no-body calls me maeib' Edwards. Glad to see him; after all, the plan was to meet him here!

It was festival time here, with some interesting British casks, albeit not overly rare (though there was a beer from relative newcomers Bridgenorth). Most were a little bland around the edges - even the Potbelly beer (Jingle Bellies). who usually turn out a tasty brew. Mind you, temperature was a killer, beers from the cellar were very cold, the stuff from the stillage outside was almost frozen. Sadly, that's where the Belgian guest draught beers were, which knocked all the subtly out of them, though the Gordon'sXmas beer wasn't too bad. Beer of the fest for me was the ThornbridgeHark which offered a redeeming gingerness. The food was a little on the light side as well - last year's hearty cooked meals had given way to a rather miserly bratwurst but (at least it was tasty and hot).

We decided to venture forth and find warmer beer. The Criterion is a must-visit pub on any Leicester visit; by 2pm it looked like half of Leicester had the same idea. With musicians warming up in the lounge, the bar area was busy. Nevertheless, a table corner was commandeered and we then sallied forth to the bar. So how come I eneded up with the blandest beer, BartramsGreen Man.? I've had some cracking Bartrams bottled beers, but this was thin and untainted by any tasty malts.

Mark was soon hankering after a bottle, and I only had to gently twist his arm into trying a bottle of Flying Dog Dogtoberfest. I found it was decidedly average - usual FD approach, subtle as a box of frogs. Whereas with other styles they can just use bludgeoning amounts of hop and carry it off, here it just made for an over-brown beer.

There was only one way to put a atop to this bland beer madness - go for some keg larger. Just round the way from the Criterion is the Shakespere's Head, a wedge of confused Art Deco abandoned in the cleavage of the ring road. Walking inside was almost like entering a middle-range hotel, all plush and self-consciously smart. Thankfully, the bar was full of sweary labourers who had scattered various supplements from the Sun all around the room. John was here to sample Oakwell Old Tom as at unfeasibly cheap price, even for the Midlands. Mark and I are made of more adventurous stuff, mind; only their finest lagers would suffice. Sadly, their finest lagers seem to have run out and instead they'd hooked up some cunning Heath Robinsonesque device to siphon the urinal flow straight into the lager lines. At least the Oakwell Lager had a faint whiff of a lager malt. Or was that just the drains? Mark's Oakwell Acorn Lager had a chemical sweetness to it; ever wondered what the blue cubes in the urinal bowl taste like?

(If you really want to know how I know what the blue cubes taste like, that's a another story. Like drinking the aftershave given to me by a Richard Branson look-alike in Amsterdam. So many stories, so little.. er.. enthusiasm to keep telling them)

Now, it's still raining, it's approaching time to go home, so it's shit or bust. One of the great things about Leicester is that, if you're on the way back to the train station, there's a cracking pub. Out Of The Vaults, therefore, was our last stop.

Remember - all good things come to those who wait (and ignore Guinness). A stonking selection of stuff here with plenty of dark beers. At the end of the bar sat one of my absolute favourites - Beowulf's Dragon Smoke Stout. Pure class. The rugby (Wales v South Africa) was just starting, Good beers, good sport, good atmosphere, good friends - pubs don't get better than this.

Mark had to go to catch his bus into the heart of darkness - sorry - heart of Northamptonshire. John and I just had time for a round of E&S 1872 Porter before making a breakneck march back to the station, just in time for the Derby-bound train.

We soon trundled into Derby, and with no Brunnie beer on offer it was into the Alex for a quick snifter. John was keen to try a beer he'd enjoyed the day before (the name of which escapes me) and I (as ever) could not resist the Thornbridge Jaipur. After all, when a beer drinker is tired of Jaipur he is tired of life....

Overall, a typical Midlands beery day in an above average Midlands city- some average beers, some dire, some surprising, some outstanding.

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Ramblings: Sheffield

Blue skies, wispy clouds, a cool breeze: the perfect weather for a Sheffield crawl. I met up with David, who is over from Canada on a grand beer tour before returning home in September. The key pubs here are well served by public transport, so it was straight off the train and up to the tram. Here, we met up with Neil (DJ Monarch) who'd crossed the Pennines that morning to meet up with us.

This used to be the York City and Country Bank, an assured example of Edwardian Baroque. I wasn't expecting anything too exciting beer-wise but hoped for something solid and decent to start the day. The main bar was serving Stones Bitter, Wentworth WPA and Kelham Island Easy Rider. We headed upstairs to see what else was on offer. Unfortunately there was nothing extra; I popped downstairs to pick up an Easy Rider.

Neil and David were still buying their beers when I returned. Neil plumped for the Stones, which was rugged enough for a beer now brewed by Bass (sorry, Coors), but used to be made in Sheffield. David's WPA was disappointing; perhaps the end of a barrel? Not a great introduction to Sheffield beer drinking! My Easy Rider was on good form, though; always a joy to drink this beer.

It was soon time to leave the city centre behind and head north downhill to the River Don. We were expecting a longer hike, but we were on the bridge in what seemed like only a few minutes. The extensive road improvement works threw us out a bit, but then scooping in Sheffield isn't the same without getting list amongst ongoing construction in this neck of the woods. Negotiating a maze of walkways marked out by fluorescent netting, we finally hacked our way over to The Harlequin.

This was a busy place - just as a pub with a growing reputation for beer and food should be on a Friday lunchtime. Eight handpumps offered a real range of beers from light golds to roasty stouts with a couple of ciders thrown in for good measure. Sadly, none of their house beer as Kelham Island aren't quite back up to full capacity yet. We escaped out to the beer garden - a recurrent theme of the day - which offered a great view of, er, the JCBs working on the road junction.

My Derby beer was good - no different to the bulk of Trevor's light brews but what ain't broke you don't fix. David's Jaipur was fairly flabby - two poor conditioned beers out of three for him! To give the Cat a chance of redeeming themselves, I went back to the bar and got a Thornbridge Hall Blackthorne which was in much better shape - full of juicy fruits.

As for the Black Hole - I just don't get it; something in there that my palate reacts adversly to in their beers. I watered the flowers behind me with a quarter pint - so if there's a barren patch in the bed when you next visit, it's the Super Nova wot done it.

And so off outside for the best beer garden of the day. A real sun trap.The first round of beers - Allgates Beer Hunter, Sheffield Severn Hills, Milestone After the Flood were all OK. It's always worth having a few in here, so the next round was for Mighty Oak Simply The Best, Acorn First Gold IPAand Acorn Fuggles. That last beer really narked Neil, who was moved to declare that Fuggles was "not a hoppy hop", "If there's double hop and triple hop, that's half a hop" and "I'm going to rename it fuck-alls".

Each unto his own, eh!

Tearing ourselves away from the KIT, we moved on to the unlikeliest scooping opportunity of the day

The Milestone is clearly aiming for the up-and-coming cocktail market in what is now becoming a fashionable area of the city.Not much to look nat from the outside, inside it's all chocolate and cream walls, candles, easy beats, continental draughts, decent wine list, house cocktails, open kitchen serving smart bar-bistro stuff....

But also, two cask beers; Sheffield Five Rivers Cascade and Wentworth Imperial.Those kept the guys happy; I was mellow enough to have a Paulaner. In fact, if the music had stayed mellow - and we didn't have several more pubs to visit - I'd have been happy to kick back and relax here.

But, onwards and upwards. The Wellington has had a lick of paint since its Cask & Cutler days, and certainly smells cleaner since the smoking ban. I forgot to take a photo - must have been too mellow after the Milestone..

A good range of beers - perhaps nothing overly unusual but the Cannon Royal Fruiterers Mild, Beowulf Chiller and Millstone Vale Mill were all in good form - the latter I though was superb, a new recipe (though I never had the old one) and early contender for Beer of the Day.

Keeping rolling, one stop on the tram and a short uphill jog past the old infirmary (with a Te$co now spawned in the grounds) and it was onto the MoonNow this was a great pub - green and cream decor, two large rooms and patio looking over the old infirmary. Five Abbeydale beers, five guests, draught lagers including local stuff and a solid thirty-bottle range of mainly Belgian staples. The piped acoustic music and decent menu of classic pub meals (with regular or large portions) make it an inviting place to get your breath back after a hard day's scooping.

Abbeydale Daily Bread and Salvation were clealry the best beers of the day so far - really fresh, full of flavour. The Magpie Two 4 Joy was as a good drop as well.

Back down the hill and the longest tram ride of the day so far - at least a couple of minutes - to get to the Hillsborough Hotel( their official site - and that of the Crown Brewery - seems to have disappeared)

It's a good looking place, lots of wood panelling and airy ceilings. We went out onto the terrace again to take in the splendid Don Valley view. OK, it's mainly Mecca bingo and the dry ski slope but it's still better than looking at a recycle bin and a pile of dog ends.We tried one of their own beers, Hillsborough Pale Ale brewed by Crown, Northumberland Fog On The Tyne and something else I forgot to name (possibly Howard Town Glotts Hop).All were good, as were the Seabrooks crisps!

Time to head back into the city. Taking the tram to West Street we seemed to descend into a circle of hell - the place was already dripping with women wearing little more than too much cheap perfume.

Into the Devonshire Cat, which was heaving already at 7pm. A quick trio to knock off (beers, I hasten to add); my notes gave out at this point but I do remember that I went back to get a pint of (this time, excellent) Jaipur.

Then it was time to beat the retreat - Neil headed back over to Cheshire whilst David and I had a middling wait for a Virgin train and the customary standing up next to the out-of-order toilet for forty minutes.

Back into to Derby, where there's always time for a couple more beers - the Brunswick for a pint of White Feather and then back to the Alex for a Jever and let David crawl off to bed and recover from several days scooping.

A good day - new pubs visited, good beers tried, great gardens lounged around in! I can heartily recommend a Sheffield crawl to anyone interested in quality beers and letting the tram take the strain.

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Ramblings: Derby to Belper

A gentle walk on what seems to be the first vaguely sunny and dry Sunday of this summer.

The walk from Derby to Belper is about eight miles and forms part of the Derwent Valley Heritage Way. It's one of my favourite walks; easy going terrain, plenty of variety (woodland, river meadow, pasture land, urban) and - funnily enough - a few good pubs along the way.

The first pub I pass on the way out of Derby is the Abbey at Darley Abbey.

As it was only 10:30, the pub was closed. As I rarely to the walk in the opposite direction, I don't usually pass when it's open. It's a Sam Smiths pub, so cheap and cheerful. Personally, I think it's underdeveloped and could make itself more appealing to villagers and tourists alike.

The route wends it way onward, along the river (the banks thick with dragonflies), over the railway and into Little Eaton. A couple of pubs here, but it's still too early. The village's prize-winning butcher, Barry Fitch, doesn't open on Sundays so no pork pie to eat en route today.

Over the hill, drop back down to the river at Duffield, ignoring The Bridge pub as it's only a few more miles before the first stop of the day.

The Holly Bush at Makeney is just superb and will probably feature at some point as one of my Pubs to Love. Doofus boy here didn't take a photo, knowing he's got loads of them already... and promptly forgot to upload one. Gah!

Lots of little rooms, flagstone floors, low beams, open fires... you get the picture anyway.

A pint of Bradfield Farmers Blonde and a pork pie made for an ample enough lunch. The Reluctant Scoop Percentage was 20% - a guest beer that I can't remember the name of now - but the weather was such that a decent blonde was required. Coz you can't beat getting your lips round a fruity blonde on the wall in the pub car park, fnarr fnarr...

A short skip, hop and stumble up and over the hill into Belper, where the walk ends right outside the Cross Keys.

A great Batemans pub, where Colin the landlord puts on an array of guest beers. Some months, the guests will all be from one particular brewery, giving you the chance to try a range of beers that you wouldn't otherwise see.

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Fest of fun: Derby, July 2007

Being able to have a lie-in, taking the bus to and from, bagging the best seat, spending more time there. Ah, the joys of hometown beer festivals :)

Derby CAMRA hold their festivals in the Assembly Rooms, a pug-ugly building with a fairly chaotic layout inside as well.

But the upside is that there's usually plenty of room; most beer in the (air conditioned) Great Hall, more rotating beers (on handpull) in the Darwin Suite and plenty of places to sit down (just not in the Great Hall itself).

I managed four sessions this year:

Wednesday evening: a few glasses (third-pints!) with my drum teacher Andi Evans of Endorphin Rush. A quiet session in the Darwin Suite, where the twelve handpumped beers were reason enough to not go trekking off to the Great Hall.

Beer of the session had to be Brewdog Punk IPA, a great fruity feel with biting bitterness. Brewdog are making some of the most exciting UK cask beers at the moment, so it's always a pleasure to sample them.

Both are stalwarts of RateBeer, the, um, beer rating website of which we three (and Andi) are all members.

We set up camp in the Darwin Suite, with frequent forays out to the Great Hall (just as long as the band weren't murdering their instruments at the time). Plenty of Scottish beer was had (a theme for the fest this year).

Plenty of beer on the table and a good chinwag made for an entertaining session. Douglas, Ray, Dave, John, Bernie, Mitch, Brian and Andi all enjoyed lashings of local and Scottish ales along with piles of home-made sarnies.

Beer of the session is a close call, so I'll make two awards: best cask beer was Flash from Leatherbritches and best bottle was the ever-wonderful Oerbier from Belgian brewers De Dolle (and what a fantastic website they have as well).

With the festival closing at four, there was time for Andi and I to have a swift couple up at the Flowerpot before heading off.

Saturday lunch: Just time for a few quick beers before I went shopping on the market. More Brewdog, of course; this time the Peroxide Punk. Like 'Punk IPA lite', it's got plenty of flavour but not the mule-kick bitterness. But beer of the short session had to be Heather Ales Ebulum. Fermented with elderberries, it's a fantastically smooth ale with some lovely roasty notes.

Overall, a good festival. Major plus points have to be the third-pint glasses, the cask Scottish beer and not having to cram the drinking into one afternoon. Let down slightly by the early kick-out each day, but if CAMRA members are happy to get in for free but not volunteer to work a shift, what can you expect? Guilty as charged, m'lud!

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Pubs to Love: The Alex, Derby

Really a B&B nowadays, the Alexandra Hotel has a longstanding tradition of championing real ale and was the birthplace of Derby CAMRA.

Currently in the safe hands of Johnathan "For The Use Of" Hales, the Alex is a Castle Rock pub with an interesting range of UK cask guests and (unusually for Derby) a wide selection of bottled and draught continental beers.

So then - why a Pub I Love?

The RS percentage: Around the 30% mark for UK cask. Just enough to tempt me - as long as Harvest Pale or Jaipur isn't on.

Noise-o-meter: Can be a little too quiet, particularly mid-afternoon, with just the sound of local radio and traffic jams to keep you company. But that's OK as background for crosswords and Su Duko.

Niffy? Not at all - enough ventilation to keep it breezy in the summer, a nice fug of smoke from the wood-burning fire in the winter.

Bog off? Clean enough, but it's the little things; the towel is hung on a window opener, no coat hook in the cubicle...

FTL... At least ten seconds further away from the railway station than the Brunswick. So that makes it 1:10 to the railway station and about five minutes from the main bus stops. Unless you catch a bus back into the centre from outside the Brunswick, which is, er, ten seconds away...

ESP: It's probably Johnathan. Where else will you hear "A pint for the consuming of, change for the use of and your very good health" whenever you're served a drink? He's fantastically phlegmatic and has a wonderful philosophy that can be applied to every topic of conversation in the pub; "It's all bollocks".

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Pubs to Love: The Brunswick, Derby

The Brunswick Inn, affectionately known as the 'Brunny', is a wonderful, cheese wedge shaped building built to serve the railway workers in the nineteenth century. Fell on hard, derelict times before conservation measures in the 1970's brought it back to its former glory. It features several rooms, flagstoned floors, a bijou beer garden... and their own beers. Which is, of course, why I'm here :)

So, how does the Brunny rate? (for a quick reminder of the rating system, see the first Pub to Love blog here)

The RS percentage: today, it's less than ten percent. But, that's no bad thing, as invariably, I'm here to drink their own beer. Indeed, it would be rude not to. Particularly their White Feather.

Noise-o-meter: Apart from Si the barman with his gurning voice, it's ticking over nicely. No music, all the braying businessmen are in the other room playing darts and chucking chilli down their ties. Comfortable.

Niffy? The odd whiff of chilli (ruddy good stuff here); apart from that, it's a clean place, all doors open to give the place a good airing.

Bog off? The sink's still cracked so you can never tell if someone's wet themselves or just left the tap running, but it's OK.

FTL... The Brunny is literally a minute's walk from Derby railway station.

ESP: Has to be there own beers. Even though Trevor Harris, longstanding brewer and landlord, left to cross the city and start another brewery, Graham and James are doing an outstanding job of brewing the old favourites and adding great new brews as well. And Everards, the Brunnies owners, often get their staff and invited guests over to try a hand at brewing.

Overall: Enticing. I'll always want just another White Feather and a chip butty. With cheese and chilli. The butty, that is, not the beer. Although perhaps I could ask Graham to tinker with a recipe or two...

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Pubs to Love:The Wellington, Brum

First stop on my way back from Walsall was to a pub that's rapidly established itself as a key player in the real ale scene - The Wellington in Birmingham.

And there's the rather splendid bar. Much more attractive than the outside which is fairly anonymous amongst the offices in this neck of the city.

I suppose I should come up with some convincing reasons why it's a Pub to Love. So, I've made up an arbitary scoring system.

1) The RS percentage: Out of the cask ales available, how many scoops are there for me? Does the beer range force me into a reluctant scoop, i.e. a tricky decision to drink what I really like or chance my luck on a new brew/brewer? Too many of my faves and I'll drink them all the session; too many scoops and I'll drink as many as possible and neglect my faves. I'm looking for a fifty-fifty split to make that scoop decision really reluctant.

2) The Noise-o-meter: Inoffensive background music and light chat will score well for a 'quiet' session. General hub-bub and matey chat will go down well for a 'louder' session.

Points deducted for braying businessmen (double deduction if braying is induced by drinking extra-cold nitro-swill 'lager'), boring tickers ("..well, I remember when Old Unobtainable was 5.6% and was a completely different beer, served fresh from the cask at the Itch & Crotch .."), and speech-driven radio programmes ("this morning's phone-in is on cystitis. Have you got it? Do you want it? Give us a call on...")

Points added for: playing my favourite music if that's what I want to listen to, restraint amongst groups of talkers not to end up shouting of the top of each other.

5) First turn left by the station. I'm using public transport, so close to the railway / bus station is a huge positive. So, when the train / bus is late, there's time for a swift pint. Extra bonus points awarded for great pubs actually built into the station.

6) ESP. Or, Extra-Special Pub. What makes this place just a little different?

So then; the results for the Welly:

RS %: 65% scoops on this visit. The Welly gets through so many beers that this percentage can change before your very eyes (try it yourself, their beer list is broadcast online)

Noise-o-meter: Like a rough sea breaking onto a pebble beach; noisy in waves. But that's OK for a peak lunchtime visit.

Niffy?: Very much so. Sweaty business types and a few minging tickers. I never thought the Welly was that smoky, but it was obviously enough to cover up the other odours. It lacks ventilation; could become really ripe if the summer finally gets going.

Bog off: Clean, well provided for. They're just The Smallest Gents Pub Bogs In The World Ever (Probably)

1st turn left: About five minutes walk from New Street rail station, just off the main drag through Brum. Ideally placed for a flying visit.

ESP? Being able to take your own food in, anything from a sarnie up to a running buffet. Takeaways can be delivered to the pub - the pub provide plates and cutlery.

Overall: Delicious. Slightly ripe round the edges, but pubs are only just finding out how the smoking ban impacts in these ways. A must-stop-at pub if you're in the city - or even if you have half an hour at New Street to change trains

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Ale Near Rail

I travel a fair deal by train. Because I don't drink and drive and, indeed, I don't drive: never had a lesson, never had the inclination.

So I get to hang around on station platforms waiting for late trains. So I get to know where the nearest decent pubs are. So I have them on a list (I have a little list...)

Lots of websites will tell you how to find a pub that is close to a railway station. This guide is all about quality - good beers (local, guests, bottles, continentals), good food if you're hungry, less than five minutes from the station and that all-important 'comfy' factor - no booming music, old soaks, lager louts, screaming kids etc. Somewhere to have a civil pint at a civil price.

This list will grow depending on where my travels take me. It's always going to have a Midlands bias as that's where I live.

DERBY

My home town. A swift drink or five for me on the way home, depending on how tortuous the rail journey has been.

The Brunswick - Turn right out of the station, follow the terraced row and the 'Brunnie' is the last building on the left. Brews it own beer, several guest beers, proper cider, great value lunchtime food, several rooms plus patio. Stalwart of the real ale scene in Derby.

NOTTINGHAM

The VAT and Fiddle - Out through the main exit, turn left to get out onto the road, keep left along the station front, cross over at the lights and bear right. The pub is down a sloping road on your right hand side. The Castle Rock tap, guest beers, continental bottles, good food.

BEESTON

The Victoria - Another Tynemill pub, next to the Nottingham-bound platform of the station. No direct access from this platform nowadays so take the path that runs parallel to the Derby/London bound platform and use the footbridge. Good range of beers (always a dark one), excellent food, large patio area.

BURTON

The Devonshire Arms - Turn right out of the station, follow the round down and round, pub is a few minutes walk on the right hand side in the shadow of the Coors brewery plant. Burton Bridge Brewery pub so always a choice of their beers plus a guest or two.

(I'll have to work out the directions to the Coopers Arms which is closer and well worth the visit)

BIRMINGHAM

The Wellington - Exit New Street via the Victoria Square footbridge. Out of the station, cross straight over the road via the crossing and head up the hill, keeping left onto a pedestrianised stretch. Turn right onto New Street then immediate left onto Bennetts Hill. The Wellington is near the top of the hill on the right hand side - no pub sign so look for the name on the window.

It's a good five minutes to get here so treat yourself to the best beer range around. Rare and unusual beers abound; look up at the large screen TV to see what's being served at the moment and then order by the number shown! Beers change regularly, such is the demand. You can expect rarer/popular beers to sell out in one day.

No food so bring your own - posh sarnie shop just a bit lower down. Cutlery and plates provided - you can even bring a takeway meal in.

Proper cider, continental bottles... at least it's downhill back to the station!

Note for less mobile - if you use the lifts at New Street station you'll end up at least another five minutes further away as they are on the other side of the station. You can still make it there; go up to the Pallisades shopping centre, exit onto New Street, turn left and look out for Boots and Bella Pasta on the left - Bennetts Hill is then on your right.

DEWSBURY

West Riding Licensed Refreshment Rooms - On the Manchester-bound platform of the station. So you can't get any closer! Tim Taylor's beers, Anglo-Dutch beers always feature, food served (though in truth I usually grab a butty from the shop on the station, excellent stuff like corned beef & beetroot).

LEEDS

The Scarbrough - Out of the main station exit, head for the 'tower' where a flight of stairs takes you down to street level. The pub is opposite (but you might want to use the pedestrian crossing). If you can't use the stairs, just follow the road round to the right from the station. Up to six guests, can be noisy but it's good beer and close by. The station concourse also has a Wetherspoons which, er, is a Spoons but does keep some decent beer.

WORCESTER

The Dragon Inn - Turn left out of the station. Pub is a few minutes up the road on the left. Good half-dozen beers, informative blackboard with beer tasting notes (and banned topics of conversation). Proper cider served. Great food (particularly the hot baguettes). Long pub with suntrap patio and no-smoking area.

GODALMING

The Star - Turn left of the station into Station Approach, take the first road on your left (Church Street) and follow it around, the pub is on the right hand side of the road. Open all day, several cask beers, chock full of proper cider and perry, continental bottles... traditional pub food, great atmosphere, cosy feel with a warm welcome. If you find yourself stranded in the apocalyptic concrete hell of Guildford, get on the train for a few minutes and come here for a proper drink.

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Ramblings: Walsall

Off to the heart of the Black Country this week. Beer was incidental; I was collecting my Dad's birthday present (if you're reading, Dad, then get back to work!)

Never been there before, so it's always fun to find out some decent pubs and enjoy some local beer.

Armed with my usual scruffy notes out of the Good Beer Guide, scribbled onto a poorly-photocopied map, I set out to find the first pub on my list, Arbor Lights.

With a Cask Marque plaque outside, I knew what I would get - cold beer. And the pint of Summer Lightning was indeed on the chilly side. Still, it was still a damn fine pint. Everyone else here seemed to be drinking coffee... but it was only 10:15 in the morning.

Arbor Lights is a good-looking place, inside and out; it has that smart bar-diner feel, smooth tunes in the background, comfy sofas, large street-facing windows. The beers were fine; oversized brass beer dispensers for Leffe as well as the chilled lager swill and a selection of real ales (the aforementioned Lightning, Adnams and one other that I, er, can't quite remember)

Suitably refreshed, it was a short walk back across town to the next pub. On the way, I looked through the window of a fading back-street boozer and spied some interesting pump clips; Allgates, Acorn, E&S.... I noted the place as a possible stop on the way back to the train later.

In through the main hotel entrance, you turn left into what I now know is the Lyndon Bar. The woman behind the bar was happy to serve me, but pointed out that they didn't actually open for another six minutes. Ah, it must have been the open door to the bar that confused me...

But I'm here for the beer; they have three main beers and three guests. Always on are Abbot, Theakstons Best and Highgate Dark Mild - it was the latter that I was particularly keen on trying.

And it was excellent; deep dark fruits in there, enough body for a mild, a creamy feel with just that right hint of sourness to make you smack your lips.

With the Global Star group buying out Highgate recently, it looks like their beers may reach a wider - and deserving - audience.

Just enough time for another here - in fact, another Highgate's beer, Davenport IPA. And what a beauty; full of fat pineapple flavours and a perfumed nose. In fact, I almost began to wonder if it was a little too full-flavoured, a bit artificial? Nah, it's a good, well-bodied, full-tasting beer It's not really an IPA of course, but let's leave that rant for another posting...

With time against me, I legged it back to the pub I'd spied pumpclips in before. This was the Victoria, a no-nonsense boozer of the woodchip and formica fraternity. Some interesting beers on offer including potential scoops by Acorn and E&S. But.... I'm the Reluctant Scooper so I plumped for Allgates Bright Blade, one of my favourites.

And, by gum, it was rank. Warm, sweet... you could have passed it off as a bad farmhouse cider. Served in a warm Carling glass. Without a smile. It sounded from the stream of telephone calls he took that the licensee had a number of problems to contend with after returning from his holidays.... it has to be said that the beers clearly suffering too.

Beating a retreat back to the railway station, I arrived just in time to spring gazelle-like onto a Birmingham-bound train. With the score at one good, two great, one minging, the Walsall beer quality average wasn't too bad. Even my scoop count stood at 50%. Plenty of chances to up those percentages, though, on the journey home, which will force me into three of my favourite pubs. More of which will follow in the next post.

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Confessions of a Reluctant Scooper

I like beer.

I like to travel to beer festivals and/or pubs to try beers from new breweries. Or beers I haven't tried before from breweries I know. I keep notes on the beers I drink. I give them a rating. Sometimes that rating makes it onto ratebeer. I keep tabs on what beers are around by reading scoopgen. I buy bottled beers from around the world; I swap bottles with other people, I bottle beer to take away from festivals and enjoy the next day.

So, it looks like I'm a scooper.

But.... I can visit a beer festival and only drink beers I've had before, ignoring dozens of beers that I've yet to try. I live in one of England's finest cities for scooping - Derby - but don't feel compelled to go out scooping even once a week. I'll always drink the beers I love at my local and won't even worry about missing out on a scoop that's on at the same time. I'm happy to sit at home with a bottle of acceptable continental lager on a hot day, rather than traipse across the country in the hope of scooping some Throxheards Old Unobtainable.

I'm a reluctant scooper. This blog will plaster its fat size nines across the fine line that weaves between ignorant alcohol consumption and borderline autistic ticking.

The pubs I drink in - and why you should as well. The over-rated beers, the hidden gems. All the fun of the festivals. Some photos, some gossip, plenty of over-opinionated twaddle.

It all comes down to making that decision: You can only drink one more beer today. You cannot bottle any and take it away. You have a choice of two beers.